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Award-winning Architecture At Gorgeous, Secluded Mountain Retreat

About the property

5+ bedroom on Specie Mesa sleeps 12+

Discover a beautiful and charismatic retreat unique in all the world. Sleep under the stars on a bed that rides out onto a private deck on rails!

Inspired by the Telluridium mines of the 1800s, our compound of houses has an elegant yet rambling flow that accentuates the stunning views of sandstone valleys and mountain ranges.

The Laybourne Mesa Retreat is a place to:

• Come together over gourmet meals in the chef's kitchen.

• Build a campfire in our beautiful sandstone fire pit.

• Enjoy the outdoors with volleyball, hiking, hammock-swinging, picnicking or frisbee golf in the summer - and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and igloo building in the winter.

• Curl up in front of a roaring fire with a good book, or watch a great movie on our flat-screen HD television.

• Reconnect with friends and family in a house that offers groups opportunities for both privacy and community.

It's simply the most beautiful base camp you could ever find for adventures in Telluride, Ridgeway, Ouray, Durango, Mesa Verde, and more! Please note that Telluride and Ridgeway are each about 45 minutes away from the house - a bit more in the winter.

Bedrooms include:

The 'train house' with 3 full-sized beds in private berths and a gang shower.

Sleeping tower with two bedrooms, each with its own private half-bath.

Formal guest room that sleeps 3 with its own full bath.

Master bedroom with full bath and a bed that rides out on rails so that you can sleep under the stars!

A large 16 X 16 miner's tent with 2 cots for summer adventures!

Other features:

volleyball court

frisbee golf course

beautiful patio with a giant polished sandstone table

hiking trails

Traulsen fridge and Viking stove

hammocks galore

sandstone firepit

giant outdoor chess/checker board

collection of rare animation cells

custom-built log banquet table that seats 20 posed on the mesa's edge

gas grill, charcoal grill and a smoker

playful and artful decor

lots of games and toys for young ones

and breathtaking views!

This home can be rented in combination with the fabulous, dog and horse-friendly

http://www.vrbo.com/757067 (right down the road) for larger family gatherings and groups.

This home is also available for sabbatical visits and extended stays - at a highly discounted rate. Please contact us for more information.

(Please note that the property is not available for weddings or large events.)

Property Manager

Emmy Laybourne

Member Since 2013

Response rate:

100%

Response time:

within one day

Speaks:

English

Calendar last updated:

May 22, 2018

About Emmy Laybourne

Kit and Gerry Laybourne built their home on Specie mesa, near Placerville, CO, as a kid magnet. 'We wanted to build a vacation home that would make our teenaged kids want to hang out with us!' Gerry reports. 'That's why we designed the property to be so much fun and to have so many unique places to hang out.'
Emmy Laybourne and Sam Laybourne, Kit and Gerry's children, are now grown up with kids of their own. They are delighted to share this very special, playful, beautiful retreat with the public.
'Our hope is that this home, which has brought us so much joy over the years, will now become a gathering place for a select handful of families,' says Emmy. 'We welcome you and your loved ones to come and enjoy our home on Specie mesa.'

Emmy Laybourne purchased this Chateau / Country House in 1993

Why Emmy Laybourne chose Placerville

Kit and Gerry chose this area because they wanted to have a secluded lot with views of nothing but mountains. The house is situated on over 125 acres of land - plenty of breathing space!

What makes this Chateau / Country House unique

'My favorite spot on the property is the sitting porch,' says Emmy. 'The porch is really comfortable, but the view is stunning, so you're in this warm, cozy setting, gazing out at sandstone valley and the hazy mountains beyond it. I just love it up there.'

Outside

Climbing tower rises to great heights over the valley's edge. A great place for yoga or meditation or cocktails!

Outdoor Grill

Gas grill, charcoal grill and a smoker!

Deck / Patio

Beautiful sandstone patio with polished sandstone slab dining table.

Suitability

Long-term Renters Welcome

Leisure Activities

horseback riding

sight seeing

sledding

scenic drives

wildlife viewing

Sports & Adventure Activities

mountain climbing

cycling

skiing

mountain biking

mountaineering

fly fishing

hiking

fishing

water tubing

whitewater rafting

cross country skiing

hot air ballooning

rock climbing

snowboarding

11 Reviews

Wonderful4.9/5

Latest reviews

1 - 6 of 11

Amazing stay.... Again

5/5

Stayed Jul 2017

alison r.Longmont, CO, USA

This is our second time staying at this gorgeous home. We just had to come back after our last stay here, and this time was just as amazing. We showed up Friday afternoon and literally did not leave the property until Monday when we had to get back to real life. There is so much peace and relaxation here: hiking, hammocks, volleyball court, showering outside, eating overlooking the mountains, sleeping under the stars... The perfect escape. Thanks for an amazing retreat.

Submitted Aug 02, 2017

Fabulous!

5/5

Stayed Jun 2017

Karen L.

A fabulous place for cooking, communing and viewing Colorado's natural beauty. Our family gathering enjoyed frisbee golf, hiking nearby trails, day trips to Ouray and Telluride and working the three thousand piece puzzle! Sleeping outside on a memory foam mattress is as close to heaven as one can get. Loved our time on Specie Mesa! Thank you for a wonderful week!!!

Submitted Jul 06, 2017

Amazing stay here! Our first trip to Colorado and this home helped make lasting memories:)

5/5

Stayed Jun 2017

Michelle G.

Where to start???? This house helped make our stay in Colorado so memorable. We loved sitting on the porch in the morning and chatting. The kids played games/cards for hours at the kitchen table. And the views- oh, my! We definitely made memories here. The set-up of the different houses were unique and gave everyone their own space. There were tons of unique features- so special. The kitchen was made user friendly with an extra large custom refrigerator, large gas stove, and tons of supplies. There was plenty of wildlife to be seen. The older kids drove to town one day and saw a mama bear and two cubs on the road right around the corner from the house. Quite exciting:) Best of all, my son chose this trip to propose to his girlfriend and she said "yes"! Life is good.

Submitted Jun 25, 2017

Stunning!

5/5

Stayed Jan 2017

Vicki L.

We stayed at this stunning home on the mesa in mid-January 2017. It's cozy, quiet, and private. Views of the surrounding mountains are incredible.

The 3 connected buildings have loads of light and many unique, comfortable spaces for relaxing. The bed that rolls on rails out onto the porch is a totally singular feature, but all the sleeping areas are restful and lovely. Wonderful kitchen, and windows everywhere.

The drive into Telluride is short (about 20 minutes) and beautiful. You definitely want a 4WD vehicle in winter for the road to the mesa.

Submitted Jan 26, 2017

Family Jeep Vacation

4/5

Stayed Jul 2016

Laurie G.College Station, Texas

This property is full of unique and wonderful art. We booked this compound for our large group, which included 2 children and 7 adults. We had plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the time we spent at the house. The nature trails were super fun for the kids and we enjoyed sitting outside with plenty of room for all of us. The "kitchen house" as we called it was our main hang out and worked just fine for the family meals we cooked and enjoyed together. I loved the huge built in cooler, it gave us all the room we needed to keep things cold. We enjoyed walks down to the massive picnic table to view the mesa most evenings and the kids loved riding the bed on the rails! If you like being away from it all, this is the place, we did have to drive a bit to get to the jeep trails we had mapped out. We really enjoyed at the start of the road the picnic area at the boat launch at the San Juan River. We enjoyed the entire area of Telluride, Ouray, Silverton and the Million Dollar Highway.

Submitted Sep 07, 2016

You cannot beat this place

5/5

Stayed Jun 2015

alison r.Longmont, CO, USA

This place is amazing. I don't even know where to start. We rented it for the Bluegrass Festival in Telluride (a 45 minute drive), but found ourselves not wanting to leave. There was so much to do on the property: frisbee golf, volleyball, hammocks galore, quiet places to read and just be, an amazing outdoor shower, a massive outdoor table with an unbeatable view, sleeping under the stars... The beds were comfortable. The kitchen had more than any other rental we've used. The kids loved the sleep-train. The rooms are set up that each feels very private and sounds don't travel (perfect for kids!). If you are going to be in the area, you've got to stay at this place. We hope to come back next summer.